August 15, 2013
Jailbreak! Will Laura Prepon Leave "Orange is the New Black"?
Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Despite strong reviews for her portrayal of Alex Vause in the hit Netflix series "Orange is the New Black," actress Laura Prepon is reportedly leaving the series, according to sources close to the show. Although Prepon will return for select episodes of Season 2's 13-episode season, the actress reportedly did not sign her contract renewing the character.
"One of [Prepon's] agents responded to an email by saying he could not discuss the show, and her publicist did not immediately answer an email asking why Prepon would leave 'Orange Is the New Black,'" reported Buzzfeed.
Netflix is insisting, "It's not accurate. Our season is still developing and nothing is confirmed."
On the series, Prepon played the lesbian, international drug smuggling ex-girlfriend of character Piper (Taylor Schilling). She will reportedly tie up her storyline as Alex, with an option to return in future episodes.
Fans were titillated by the strong sexual chemistry between the characters, and will likely be sad to see her leave the show created by Jenji Kohan of "Weeds" fame, and loosely based on a memoir by Piper Kerman.
In a recent interview with HuffPost TV, Prepon praised the role and described Alex as "an awesome character," saying, "It's cool because, as a female actress, you always try to look for roles that are challenging, different and new. It's hard to find something like that. When we read roles, it's usually another f--king typical female role. When I read this script, there were so many rad roles, so when I read Alex I loved her."
Prepon is best known as the character Donna on Fox's "That 70s Show," and for her brief role on the ill-fated NBC sitcom "Are You There, Chelsea?"
Because Netflix doesn't release viewership numbers, there is no exact data on how many people are watching the show, but according to online comments, the series has been wholeheartedly embraced by a wide cross-section of viewers. And Netflix picked up a second season before the first one even debuted in July.
Filming for Season 2 of "Orange" began in July in New York and will premiere in 2014.
Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
